When I was 12, I had a plan. I was going to grow up to be a journalist (preferably for Smash Hits! magazine), I was going to interview my absolute favourite band in all the world and their singer would fall in love with me. (I had no clue about professional conduct back in the day.)
My favourite band? It was 911. You know, the three little guys that threw some serious shapes on Saturday morning TV back in the late 90s and bagged a handful of hit singles. They saw success with tracks like Bodyshakin’, Party People… Friday Night, a cover of the Bee Gees’ More Than a Woman and – my personal favourite – weepy ballad The Journey. To me? They were perfect. The ideal combination of cute and funny and talented, and my introduction to what would become a lifelong love for pop music.
I was a member of the fan club. My bedroom was plastered with posters. I made my mum take me to see them at Glasgow’s SECC, my first concert. I even had a box under my bed in which I stored magazine and newspaper cuttings. I was, looking back, really weird for a 12-year-old. I sympathise a bit with the Directioners from that Channel 4 documentary in the summer.

Now I’m 26, I think I’ve managed to do 12-year-old me proud. I am a journalist (look at me now! I’m writing!) and while Smash Hits! has gone to the great big magazine home in the sky, I think I’m doing just as well by working as assistant editor for Scotland’s top student title, Source. No 911 however.
Well, there wasn’t. Until yesterday.
My pre-teen idols, you see, are making their comeback. Following on from a stint on ITV2’s The Big Reunion last year, and the follow up tour, Lee Brennan, Jimmy Constable and Spike Dawbarn are giving the crazy business they call show another go and releasing a new album of co-written tracks this month. And I – somehow – managed to get some time on the phone with the love of my 12-year-old life, Lee.
It’s been 13 years since 911 announced their split on Radio 1 – I’ve just about recovered – so how much has changed for the chirpy trio? I got on the blower with Lee to find out. And I just about managed to keep it together…

What was it like when you guys got back together for The Big Reunion?
It was amazing, to be honest. It’s about a year ago now that we signed the deal with ITV. We all decided that we were going to tell the truth – we had a lack of communication back in the day, which I think caused a lot of issues between us all, and I guess we wanted to clear all of that up during the process of The Big Reunion, and I think we’ve done that now.
What was it that persuaded you to do it?
They said, “It’ll be an eight-part doc on ITV2,” and I guess that’s a big enough thing, but they also said that they were going to do an arena tour on top of it. We were sold. Easiest decision we’ve ever made.
You guys split in 2000 – how much has changed in the industry in that time?
We’ve got the downloads now. CD sales have gone down. Woolworths is gone – it’s completely flipped on its head, and we’ve just got to get used to that. And the technology – Twitter, Facebook and iTunes. We used to hammer the TV shows too, especially Saturday morning TV, for promo. Now, there’s not much around.
What have you enjoyed more – 911 then or now?
It is a totally different experience. I loved it back then. I was obviously younger, didn’t know much about the industry. Now I do, I think it’s more relaxed for us as a band and we can get more input into the creativity and stuff. We were too busy last time, the record company took charge.
Your comeback album, Illuminate… The Hits and More, is available to download from Sunday. How is it different from the old 911?
We’ve created this album between us all and we’re really proud of it. We’ve got seven new songs, with contemporary production. For our albums in the past, we always tried a different style for each, and I think we’ve captured that again. Mature pop, I think you’d call it, with a modern twist on it. It’s some of our best stuff since the first album, definitely. We had more control, more creativity. I’ve always loved writing songs and lyrics and melodies and stuff, so we’ve had a chance to input everything we’ve learnt in the last fifteen years.
If someone had said to you back then that you’d be doing it all again in 2013, how would you have reacted?
I would’ve said you were mad. [laughs] I think when Take That came back about seven years ago, it just showed us that there’s a huge nostalgic crowd out there for 90s music. I guess we just had to wait for our time, along with the other bands to have an opportunity.

The Big Reunion is back, following you and the other acts on the tour earlier this year. What can we expect from that?
It’s a three-parter, following us on tour. There were so many camera crews there, so I think they captured everything that went wrong, everything that went right, everyone who was drunk on the bus… We had the most amazing time. I just wanted to party and enjoy every minute of it.
Was it like a big long Smash Hits Poll Winners’ Party?
It really was! There was 27, 28 of us on the bus. There was drink on the bus constantly. It was just one big party. There was no stress, because we knew we wouldn’t have to fly around the world straight after it or in between, doing promo. We got to enjoy being on stage.
I suppose it’s not really the same pressure as it was first time around.
Definitely not. I mean, what expectations can you have? We’d done the TV show, so we’re seen as TV personalities as well as pop stars in a band, which is weird. I think anyone who’s come off this is now thinking, whatever happens, happens.
What was it like playing the big arenas again?
That was probably one of the main reasons that we did the show. When we saw what the audience viewing figures were, we knew that we’d get a chance to do the big arenas. It was like being a little kid, it was that exciting. Standing on the O2 stage and playing to 15,000 people – I can’t describe it.
The Big Reunion was such a big success. Were you expecting that?
I guess the press were thinking it was going to be car-crash TV. But the way it was sold to us, they said, “We want your back stories, we want to find out more about you as a group.” It’s all smiles and stuff when you see pop groups back in the day, and now this was the reality of what people go through and the aftermath of being in a pop band. That’s why it was so gripping – it was real.
They’re doing a second series next year. What pop acts would you like to see get involved?
I would love to have seen S Club, but I don’t think they would. They were huge. Another Level would be quite cool. All Saints would be good. I can’t think of too many. I reckon A1 will be in it. Damage possibly.
The line-up for the first series was so good; it’ll be hard to match that.
Yes. I think so. We’ll always be number one – you can’t beat the first series! [laughs] The good thing is, the brand is still going to be The Big Reunion, which will help all of us that have done it before.
Finally, why should Source readers check out your album?
It’s bloody good! If you love catchy pop and want to see a 90s band do modern day pop, give it a listen. There’s seven songs, all current and buy the band with our main man John. They’re really good songs and it was all put together in three months – I think that’s pretty impressive.
Illuminate… The Hits and More is available to download from 8 September. Don’t miss Lee, Spike and Jimmy on The Big Reunion: On Tour, Wednesday at 9pm on ITV2.
Main image: (C)LESAUVAGE